State Rep. Mann to leave house, start own firm

State Rep. Jennifer Mann may officially leave her legislative position on Friday, but will launch a new venture next week.

“I am an entrepreneur at heart,” said Mann. “I didn't see myself fitting into a large, corporate structure.”
Instead, after serving in the legislature for 14 years, Mann will start JL Mann Consulting LLC, a business consulting firm based in Allentown on Dec. 3.

As the firm's president, Mann will use her legislative skills and experience as a former small business owner to help businesses of all sizes succeed by identifying cost-cutting measures while maintaining and improving quality services and products. She will also focus on project management, talent evaluation and organizational development, to name a few solutions.

As a state representative, Mann said she's learned how to be a consensus builder and understands how to overcome obstacles. Prior to her term in state government, Mann launched and managed a successful wireless telecommunications firm in Allentown and will use her networking and leadership skills to serve clients from a wide range of industries, including energy and information technology. Her main focus will be to help these companies expand by making those connections to identify new markets.

If a client's headquarters is located in the Lehigh Valley, she said she would help them expand locally.

Overall, she's looking forward to her return to the private sector.

“It was a childhood dream of mine to serve my hometown,” said Mann, a lifelong resident of Allentown. “I've been in business before, I've seen companies evolve. That's the exciting part. The fun part is you don't know what's around the corner.”

Mann served as a state representative from 1998 to 2012 and as chairwoman of the national Democratic Leadership Council's State Legislative Advisory Board. She will continue to serve on several volunteer boards including the Arthritis Foundation of the Lehigh Valley, the executive board of the Minsi Trails Council of the Boy Scouts of America and the board of associates for the Allentown Art Museum, to name a few.

Share This Story On:

Brian Pedersen

Reporter Brian Pedersen covers construction, development, warehousing and real estate and keeps you up to date on the changing landscape of our community. He can be reached at brianp@lvb.com or 610-807-9619, ext. 108. Follow him on Twitter @BrianLehigh and read his blog, “Can You Dig It,” at http://www.lvb.com/section/can-you-dig-it.
Brian also has a strong interest in health and fitness. He works part-time as a personal trainer at Steel Fitness Riverport in Bethlehem and earned his personal fitness trainer certification from World Instructor Training Schools.

Loading...

Leave a Comment

Your Name:Validation:Comment:

Please note: All comments will be reviewed and may take up to 24 hours to appear on the site.